The Arts & Culture Journal

A couple of months ago Fallyrag found itself lost down a small alley in the heart of Brighton. The alley contained several shops that you definitely wouldn't take your mother to, and a gallery that was showcasing a couple of portraits by Sarah Batt. Although they hung at the back of the gallery, such was the inherent magnetism of these works that they dominated the window display without even being in it.

These paintings showed all the confidence and mastery of a true professional with their subject matter (uncomfortable, confronting self-portraits) true to that of an artist who was painting for themselves and no-one else. Amongst the tired, predictable seascapes found in the nearby sea front galleries, Sarah's work shone with a such an impact that one is left with overriding emotions of awe and jealousy. Capturing the true story behind a face, especially a self-portrait, is perhaps the biggest challenge facing any artist. The fact that Sarah achieves this so effortlessly is both enviable and admirable.

But Sarah's journey wasn't typical, or indeed, the expected route that many feel is ordinarily so crucial. She dropped out of art school, sick of the pretension that is so often associated with the arts and didn't really draw or paint for several years after this. It was following a visit to the Louvre, and seeing the Mona Lisa, that gave Sarah the yearning to paint again. 

Having enrolled at a life-drawing course in Brugge ("I knew life drawing really was my thing - I’d always had an aptitude for it"), Sarah was drawn to the make-up artist profession that combined her obvious creative talent with a desire to work with people. Her early success as a make-up artist included her work appearing on the covers of BA High Life, Pride Magazine and Professional Photographer and she continues to work in this field today.